


The Dumbest One

by AngeliqueH



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Deaf Clint, Deaf Clint Barton, Gen, Minor James Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha Romanov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 13:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5667388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngeliqueH/pseuds/AngeliqueH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Last Avengers' mission has failed. On the Quinjet, Steve shouted at Clint for doing something stupid but now he wants to apologize. Clint has a secret that Steve is about to find out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dumbest One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyJolan](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=LadyJolan).



> Did it fast, I hope you won't find any typos.

Natasha is driving full speed on the highway in her black Z06 Corvette when her cell phone rings. It’s Steve. Super idiot Captain America. She is so pissed at him right now; she just wants to ignore the call but still answers in case he has anything new for her about their last failed mission. The last time the Avengers assembled, it ended with two civilians in intensive care, Bucky injured and still at the medical unit in Tony’s Tower and the precious asset she had spied on for the last three months was killed in the explosion.

“Nat? It’s Steve”

“Fuck Steve, we’re in 2016, I know it’s you, we have caller ID, did you know that?”

“Yeah, hum, look I’m sorry to…”

“Stop talking right now, the one you owe an apology to, is Clint.”

“Well, that’s what I’m calling you for, do you have any idea where this dum… where he went?

“Stop saying he’s dumb or I swear I’ll beat your super-soldier’s ass so hard you’ll need a cushion to sit on a chair, I’ll…”

“Ok, ok, you’re right. He’s not dumb but what he did was pretty stupid! You saw what happened Nat. Nat? Are you still there?”

“Go apologise to him Steve. He’s really hurt and feel bad for what happened the other day. Plus, you and Sam, even Thor sometimes, keep saying jokes and laughing at him!”

“Yes but I told him not to shoot that arrow! Jesus Nat! I was just behind him...”

“Stop! You never thought he was concussed or something? Before shooting that damned arrow that caused the explosion, he got a pretty bad hit to the head! I saw it! I was there too, he never heard you telling him to hold that shot!”

“I know, I know. –sigh- Do you have any idea where I can find him?”

“He couldn’t stand to be around you guys at the Tower. He’s at my place.”

“Your place? Which place? I lost the count of your safety houses.”

“The one in Brooklyn, you know the door code.”

She hangs up.

~*~  
Steve finds a spot to park the car and runs up the stairs. After two unsuccessful attempts to unlock the door, he finally enters the right combination and just as he comes in, he sees Clint entering the bathroom.

“Hey Clint I have to speak …”

Clint closes the door on him. Bad timing, he obviously didn’t see Steve and he certainly wasn’t expecting Steve to show up like that at Nat’s apartment.

Steve hears the water running and filling the bathtub. 

“Oh come on Clint! It’s me, Steve! How long will you be in there?” he says, knocking on the door at the same time.

No answer, the bathroom’s door stays closed. The water is still running. After a few minutes, Steve hears Clint turning off the tab and, through the door, it sounds like he is gradually immersing himself into the hot water.

Steve feels a little bit uncomfortable picturing the scene in his head but he goes on. Now at least, he knows that Clint is listening to him. Actually, talking to the door seems easier than facing Clint after the way he shouted at him on the Quinjet.

“Clint! It’s me, uh, Steve. I wanted… hum, I wanted to apologise for shouting at you the other day. And, uh… And also I want to apologize for the bad jokes and all. Look, about what happened, I was so mad that we lost the guy who could lead us to a potential Hydra lab that I… uh.. That I lost my cool ok? I know it wasn’t your fault. I only realised at the last minute that shooting an arrow to that thing would make it blow out. Even Bucky didn’t realise it or else he wouldn’t have stayed that close and he wouldn’t have been injured. I know, he’s awful sometimes but he’s great on the combat field, he usually knows this stuff… Hum… He says ‘Hi’ by the way, he’s doing better, he had worst you know so don’t feel bad for him ok?”

“Clint, you’re listening to me? Please talk to me, say something!”

Still no answer. Steve decides to sit on the floor next to the door. Clint will eventually come out. He knocks on the door every five minutes to let Clint know that he’s still there. Finally, after half an hour, Steve hears water splashing. Clint is coming out of the bathtub. He jumps on his feet. He knocks again.

“Come on Clint! I need to talk to you! I know you’re mad but can you at least open the door?”

“What the hell are you doing?” Natasha asks furiously. Steve didn’t notice she was back at the apartment.

“Look Nat, I just want to apologise to him ok? I came here for that but he’s locked in the bathroom since I arrived.”

“Can’t you just leave him alone? You wanted to join him in the bathtub or what? Rub his back maybe?”

Steve blushes.

“What? No! Of course no!”

She listens carefully at the door; the water is going down the drain. She skilfully unlocks the door with an hair pin. She looks at Steve, who turns is head. She opens the door slowly and takes a peek to make sure Clint is ok. He’s staring at himself in the half fogged mirror, a towel slung low on his hips. Natasha opens the door wider and goes to Clint and gently tap on his shoulder, it’s only then that Clint seems to notice that Nat had entered the room. She starts signing with Clint who turns his head at Steve, looking surprised and shameful. Clint keeps using ASL with Nat. Steve can’t understand what they are saying to each other and is totally confused, wondering what’s going on.

“Nat, what’s going on?”

She speaks and signs at the same time so both Steve and Clint can understand.

“Clint didn’t have his hearing aids on, he didn’t know you were there.”

Clint looks at Steve and point one of his ear, shaking his head. Then he signs to Nat.

“He says he’s sorry; that when he got hit badly to the head the other day, he lost one of his hearing aids and that the other one isn’t working properly so he hardly could hear you.”

Clint keeps signing, looking more and more sad.

“He says that he never heard you when you told him to hold his shot, you were behind him, he couldn’t see you or read your lips.” 

“What? Read my lips? But Since when are you deaf Clint? How come you never told me?” Steve said it too fast, Clint turn his head to Nat who signs what Steve just said.

Nat keep translating for Steve as Clint signs.

“I’m more than 80% deaf since I was young but with the hearing aids, especially the ones Tony designed for me, I can manage to understand you well enough. Not always. I know you guys think that I’m just dumb but sometimes I can’t hear exactly what you say so I just answer whatever I think is right.”

He continues,

“I don’t like speaking when I don’t have them on, it’s hard to modulate my voice. I prefer to stay here until Tony makes me new hearing aids, I don’t want to go back to the Tower with you.”

Steve puts his hands on Clint’s shoulder looks straight at him and speak slowly so that his friend can read his lips.

“I came here to apologize; to tell you it was not your fault.”

Clint smiles and signs Thank you. He starts signing at Nat again.

“He wants to know how Bucky is doing?”

Steve start laughing.

“He’s ok, he’ll be fine.”

“Nat, do you really have to tell Clint that I’ve been talking to this door like an idiot for the last thirty minutes or so?”

Nat signs what Steve just said. Clint signs back with a smirk on his face.

“Who’s the dumbest one now…”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the "hot bath" challenge that was sent to me by a good friend.


End file.
